Project Mentor
Dr. Zehra Arat
Department: Political Science
Research Project Overview:
Dr. Zehra Arat, a professor of Political Science, who also works in the interdisciplinary field of Human Rights, is seeking a research assistant to help with the data analysis and presentation for a human rights book project. The project focuses on human rights norms, specifically how they are articulated in political party and government programs that were issued in the Republic of Turkey during the 1920-2018 period.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The SHARE project involves both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The SHARE apprentice will help with the quantitative part. The data collection and coding will be completed by the mentor by the end of May 2024. The apprentice will be mainly involved in the analysis of statistical data (currently compiled and organized for the SPSS program) and the presentation of findings as graphs and tables, though the apprentice may be occasionally asked to look up some information.
The SHARE apprentice should have the technical skills and be able to conduct data analysis by using statistical programs. Depending on the progress made on this project during the course of summer, the apprentice may be asked to conduct some library research and work on bibliographies for this or another human rights research project.
The student will acquire basic knowledge about the development of human rights norms and global and regional human rights regimes. While the technical skills are expected to be in place, the project will also allow the student to apply such skills to a specific project and sometimes in a challenging way. Thus, the student is expected to develop the already acquired statistical analysis skills and learn more about presenting findings.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
The student is expected to start working on the project during the second or third week of May and can continue until the end of summer (or until the allocated funds/hours are exhausted). The meetings will be held online, via zoom, and most of the communication will be through emails. Meetings would be held on a weekly basis at the beginning and would be held as needed after the pace of work is settled. As the mentor would take a break (most likely from mid- to late-June), the student can take some time off, but such schedules are expected to be shared and agreed on at the beginning. The student can also work around other commitments but should be able to communicate with the mentor and submit the work regularly, except for pre-arranged breaks.
Preferred Qualifications:
There are basically two sets of qualifications/expectations: (1) technical skills: proficiency and experience in conducting data analysis, effectively using statistical analysis programs/packages (including SPSS), and reporting findings; (2) professional attitude: punctuality and attention to the detail.
Background in human rights is not required, but having some interest in human rights issues would help.
To Apply:
The application deadline has passed.
Please note:
All students hired for a SHARE Summer apprenticeship must complete a federal I-9 form and present original documents in person to OUR staff as part of the hiring process. Visit this U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services page for more information about acceptable documents. You cannot begin working until this is complete. Students are encouraged to plan ahead for this. For example, if you are going home for spring break, consider bringing documents back to campus with you.